Lars Salem Al Fakir (; born 27 October 1981) is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He regularly collaborates with Vincent Pontare as the songwriting and production duo Vargas and Lagola. Together, they have worked with many artists, including Avicii, Axwell & Ingrosso, Madonna, Seinabo Sey, Lady Gaga and Ghost.
Biography Early life and artist career Salem Al Fakir's father Nabil is of Syrian origin and originated from Damascus, whereas his mother, Inger, is from Sweden. Salem is the fourth of six siblings (Aminah, Ayman, Nassim, Salem, Sami and Fares). He learned to play violin at the age of four and subsequently toured Russia as a solo violinist at the age of fourteen, but returned to Sweden to study jazz piano. As a student he attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm.
In the autumn of 2006, Al Fakir released his first EP Dream Girl. He is most famous for his chart topping albums This Is Who I Am (2007), Astronaut (2009) and Ignore This (2010). At the Swedish Grammy Awards in 2008 he won big – taking home four awards and being nominated in seven categories.
He took part in Melodifestivalen 2010, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with "Keep On Walking" and finished in second place.Andra Melodifestivalen jokern klar svt.se Retrieved 20 March 2016
2010–present: Songwriting After his solo career, Al Fakir became more focused on the songwriting. Beginning to collaborate with Avicii on "Silhouettes" in 2012. Among the first co-writes with Vincent Pontare are Avicii's 2013 Billboard Hot 100 single "Hey Brother" and "Younger" by Seinabo Sey.
At the 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards, Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll were awarded Composer of the Year after writing for Veronica Maggio's album Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig and the Petter album Början på allt, and work with artists like Galantis. In 2014 he wrote numerous songs on Mapei's album Hey Hey and Avicii's "The Days" and "Divine Sorrow" (with Wyclef Jean). Al Fakir followed up with another successful year in 2015 co-writing most songs on Seinabo Sey's highly acclaimed debut album Pretend and songs for Madonna's Rebel Heart album.
Vargas & Lagola have co-written some of the biggest hits by Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso – "More Than You Know", "Sun Is Shining", "Dreamer" and more - taken from their 2017 album More Than You Know.
The duo have also contributed to two songs on Swedish rock band Ghost's Billboard 200-charting and Grammy Award-nominated album Prequelle, including the album's second single "Dance Macabre" which topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.
In 2018, the same moment as Vargas & Lagola blazed onto the alternative pop scene with the hit single "Roads", they shared the no.1 spot as Sweden's most streamed songwriters for songs including Avicii – "Without You (feat. Sandro Cavazza)" and "Waiting For Love". After working closely with Avicii for several years, Al Fakir and Pontare played a key role in finishing up the 2019 posthumous Avicii album TIM and are featured artists on three of the album songs. On 5 December 2019, Vargas & Lagola performed at Avicii's Tribute Concert in Stockholm.
Vargas & Lagola's debut album The Butterfly Effect was released in January 2020.
Discography
As Vargas & Lagola
As solo artist Albums YearAlbumPeak positions SWE2006Dream Girl (EP) —2007This Is Who I Am12009Astronaut72010Ignore This1
Singles SingleYearPeak positionsAlbum SWE "Dream Girl"200625This Is Who I Am "Good Song"36 "This Is Who I Am"200743 "It's True" (with Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso)38 "It's Only You, Part 2"200841Astronaut "Astronaut"200934 "Roxy"— "Keep On Walking"20103Ignore This "4 O'Clock"49 "Split My Personality"— "I'm So Happy"(featuring Josephine Bornebusch)2011—
Uncredited vocal work
SingleYearPeak positionsCertificationAlbum SWE "Silhouettes" 201211 GLF: 3× Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: Silver "You Make Me"2013 1 GLF: 4× Platinum ARIA: Platinum FIMI: Gold IFPI NOR: 2× Platinum BPI: Gold RIAA: GoldTrue "Something New"201420GLF: 2× Platinumhttp://www.sverigetopplistan.se (Click "search all records" and view 11 December 2014. Then click "visa" on "Something New") FIMI: Gold More Than You Know "On My Way"201518 GLF: 2× Platinumhttp://www.sverigetopplistan.se (Click "search all records" and view 2 April 2015. Then click "visa" on "On My Way") "Sun Is Shining"1 GLF: 4× Platinumhttp://www.sverigetopplistan.se (Click "search all records" and view 26 June 2015. Then click "visa" on "Sun Is Shining") FIMI: Gold ZPAV: Gold "Renegade" 2017 —
Songwriting and production credits Year Artist Title Album 2012 Avicii "Silhouettes" 2013 Avicii "You Make Me" True "Hey Brother" 2014 Galantis "Smile" Galantis (EP) "Help" Mapei "Blame It On Me" Hey Hey "As 1" "Second to None" "Step Up" Wyclef Jean "Divine Sorrow" Avicii "The Days"The Days/Nights 2015 Madonna "HeartBreakCity" Rebel Heart "Wash All Over Me" "Messiah" "Rebel Heart" Galantis "Kill 'Em with the Love" Pharmacy "Call If You Need Me" Avicii "Waiting For Love"Stories Seinabo Sey "Younger" Pretend "Poetic" "Hard Time" "Easy" "Words" "Sorry" "Still" "Ruin" "Burial" "Pistols At Dawn" 2016 MishCatt "Another Dimension" Highlighter 2017 Johnossi "On A Roll" Blood Jungle Avicii "Friend Of Mine" Avīci (01) "Without You" Toby Randall "Hold Me Down"ONE. Axwell Λ Ingrosso "More Than You Know" More Than You Know "Something New" "This Time" "Renegade" "Sun Is Shining" "On My Way" "Dreamer" Axwell "Barricade" 2018 Seinabo Sey "I Love You" I'm a Dream "Never Get Used To" "I Owe You Nothing" "Breathe" "Good In You" Ghost "Dance Macabre" Prequelle "Life Eternal"MagnusTheMagnus "It Don't Impress Me" rowspan="2" "Calling" David Guetta "Light Headed" 7 RØMANS "Glitter & Gold" Salvatore Ganacci "Kill A Soundboy" 2019 Gryffin "You Remind Me" Gravity Frank Walker & Astrid S "Only When It Rains" PRETTYMUCH "Eyes Off You" Phases - EPAvicii "Peace Of Mind" TIM "Tough Love" "Excuse Me Mr Sir" Otto Knows "About You" Ghost "Kiss The Go-Goat"Seven Inches of Satanic Panic "Mary On A Cross" Agnes "Intro"Nothing Can Compare "I Trance" "Not Dangerous" "Interlude (What Is Wrong)" "Limelight" "Interlude (I Like To Sing)" "Nothing Can Compare" Mapei "Ether" Sensory Overload 2020 Galantis "Steel" Church "Unless It Hurts" "Never Felt A Love Like This" Agnes "Goodlife" Lady Gaga"Sine from Above" Chromatica 2022Ghost"Twenties" Impera2025"Peacefield""Satanized"Skeletá
Songwriting and production credits for local Swedish artists Year Artist Title Album 2013 Veronica Maggio "Sergels torg" Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig "Jag lovar" "Hela huset" "Va kvar" "Låtsas som det regnar" "Hädanefter" "Dallas" "Bas gillar hörn" "I min bil" Petter "Mighty" Början på allt "Början på allt" "April" "Håll om mig" "Tills döden skiljer oss åt" "King" "Maj" "Arbete" "Alla vet" "Fristad" "Juni" "Sitter på en dröm" "Minnen del II" "Släpp mig fri" 2016 Veronica Maggio "Den första är alltid gratis" Den första är alltid gratis "Vi mot världen" "Pang pang" 2018 Petter "Kliv på!" Lev nu "Lev nu dö sen"
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nomination Outcome Ref. 2007 The Swedish MPA Awards Best Newcomer Himselfrowspan="8" The Monica Zetterlund Scholarship Young and Promising Artist Himself SKAP Anniversary Award - Himself 2008 Expressen Kultur - Spelmannen - HimselfSwedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself Male artist of the Year Himself Producer of the Year Himself Newcomer of the Year Himself Song of The Year "Good Song"rowspan="9" Album of The Year "This Is Who I Am" Lyricist of the Year HimselfP3 Guld Best Male Artist Himself Best New Artist Himself 2010Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself Male Artist of the Year Himself 2011Swedish Grammy Awards Song of the Year "Keep On Walking" Male Artist of the Year Himself 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) The Swedish MPA Awards International Success of the Year Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) 2015Swedish Grammy Awards Best Children's Album Himself (with Glada Hudik-Teatern & Pontus De Wolfe) Composer of the Year Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll)rowspan="4" The Swedish MPA Awards International Success of the Year Himself (with Vincent Pontare) 2016 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself (with Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll & Seinabo Sey) 2018 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Vargas & Lagola
References
External links
Planet Salem: the international Salem Al Fakir fansite